Whether you like it or not, times are changing. We are about to be struck with a technological wave capable of completely changing the world. Artificial intelligence and automation are becoming increasingly more capable and applicable to daily life and a variety of industries. Even though the technical-side of these developments can be quite marvelous, they warrant serious concern. The past movements came with significant shifts in the labor forces. As technology made human labor in certain areas obsolete, the excess of workers was moved to other industries. However, that may not be the case this time.

 

Automation within Industry – Photo Credit

 

The traditional outlook is that new technology and innovation will create new jobs for all of the people it is taking away from. But, the past is not always an accurate predictor of the future. The First Industrial Revolution was the movement of rural society to an industrial urban one during the 18^th and 19^th century. The developments included manufacturing and inventions like the steam engine. This was followed by the Second Industrial Revolution which expanded on the industries of the past and brought about major technological advances such as the telephone, light bulb, and the internal combustion engine. The Third Industrial Revolution, also referred to as the Digital Revolution, involved the development of many technologies that we use today, such as the computer, the internet, and much more. Now, we are entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

 

First Industrial Revolution – Photo Credit

 

Depending on who you ask, we have either already entered it, or we are setting on the doorsteps. Compared to the other movements, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be more impactful in terms of both breadth and depth. The first movement had a significant overhaul of the manufacturing industry. The second had a little bit more breadth, touching more than just manufacturing, but it was not as impactful to the workforce as the first. Finally, the third movement touched just about everyone, but it did not displace workers to the extent of its predecessors. The fourth movement will have an effect on just about every industry and it will change the workforce like nothing we have ever encountered in the past.

 

The closest comparison to its breadth would be the invention of the computer, which is now used in virtually every industry. But, it was really only utilized as a tool. Some jobs may have been eliminated thanks to an increase in efficiency, but the computers really could not do the work of a human. Now, we as a society are being faced with technology that could prospectively eliminate as many as 73 million jobs in the United States by 2030. In order to increase production and cut costs to maximize profits, companies will be employing AI solutions and other forms of automation instead of people. So that brings us to two major developments that we will be facing: “enormous wealth concentrated in relatively few hands and enormous numbers of people out of work.”

 

Probability of Jobs Being Taken – Photo Credit 

 

Assuming the leading researchers are correct, what can be done to offset this new development? As of the moment, there is no definite solution, although there are several prospective ideas floating around. They range from completely doing nothing, which I would argue is not a solution, to a complete restructuring of society. For starters, let’s address what you as an individual can do to ensure that you will have a job. The primary recommendation is that people should look to careers that cannot be automated. These are the careers that require creativity and “cross-domain” thinking. While AI systems can complete high level problem solving, they are not well-suited to develop ideas and make abstract connections. Secondly, the service industry would be another excellent option. Computers really are not equipped to fulfill low level jobs that require “people skills.” There will also most likely be a rise in this service jobs while other jobs are experiencing a reduction.

 

Still, there will most likely be more jobs eliminated than created. Thus, there is a call to implement greater measures to assist the millions losing employment to the machines. This idea often comes under fire in the United States, but a universal basic income has been gaining more support as the threats of mass unemployment rise. It would be funded by a variety of sources, including an increased taxation of the companies benefiting the most from these technologies in an attempt to offset the massive wealth concentrations. Essentially, this would be a means of allowing people to survive if they cannot find jobs, or subsidize the work of those that are completing volunteer work or have careers that cannot fund the basic necessities.

 

Public Opinion of Possible Automation Policies – Photo Credit

 

Most speculations related to AI and automation spell out mass unemployment and doom. There are many prospective solutions out there. We just need to find what is the most realistic and beneficial for everything. However, let’s leave on a more positive note. One idealistic outlook was that this may not be the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but the beginning of something far better. With the increased productivity and automation of nearly every industry, we may be able to reach a point in which society does not need human laborers. It may be possible to reach a point where having a job does not carry the connotations of unemployment, only freedom.

Firstly, let me say that this blog is making a transformation. The blog is entitled Equal Education and the last three posts were related to the many inequalities in the educational system and exploring the root of the problem and some possible solutions. Sadly, I reached a point in which I was not enjoying researching this topic anywhere. I was beginning to lose interest and feel that this issue has been overdone. For that reason, I chose to explore a topic that would be both interesting to me and original. The title of the blog will remain the same since it houses the educational posts, but the posts will now be focusing on artificial intelligence and possible issues and policy related to it.

 

AI Benefits – Photo Credit

 

As a society, we have reached a crossroad. We are implementing Artificial Intelligence already, but there is a significant amount of untapped potential. Data is everywhere, and artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms will allow for this information to be harnessed. These systems will be able to process large amounts of data to make predictions and informed decisions in the future. A brief entitled “We’ve Reached A Pivotal Moment for AI” produced by an Adobe think tank expressed that AI is able to “identify and classify objects, reasoning, problem solving, planning, and even simulating.” The brief continues, stating that if organizations do not begin to use AI in some manner by 2020, they will lose value. So, many companies are reaching a point in where it is either, invest in AI or fall behind.

 

There are many apparent economic benefits to utilizing artificial intelligence. Because AI can be used in many different ways, it can be applied to just about every industry in some manner or another. An Accenture report called “Artificial Intelligence is The Future of Growth” explains which industries will be touched by Artificial Intelligence. It also documents the prospects of how AI will impact the GDP in the future if implemented correctly. For example, the U.S. will receive 36% increase in labor productivity with AI being absorbed in the economy. Additionally, the annual GDP growth rate of the United States will almost double by 20135 with AI being implemented throughout the economy.

 

Annual GDP 2035 GDP Growth Rates with and without AI – Photo Credit

 

While there are many prospective economic gains with AI, it also has the potential to make an impact outside of enterprise. Recently, “The AI Think Tank Forum” was held in Palo Alto, California. The Japan Tines published an article titled “In the age of AI, think tanks must evolve,” which outlined AI governance moving forward as well as where it could be implemented to better serve society. The forum was attended by the leading artificial intelligence companies as well as the think tanks from more than 10 countries. Ultimately, this form was held to express the ideal that artificial intelligence could be used to serve think tanks. Because there is so much data in the world and AI is more than capable of drawing valuable conclusions and insights from all the information, artificial intelligence could be effectively implemented by think tanks. Essentially, AI could be used by think tanks to better investigate issues and draw conclusions.

 

Even though AI brings about many benefits, there are quite a few critical downsides. Artificial intelligent systems will be very expensive, so larger companies will be able to reap the benefits while smaller organizations will be left behind. If not used correctly, AI can be very inaccurate. They can also lack creativity and improvement seeing as they are just frameworks that and only can change to a certain degree. They cannot change their overall purpose or how they work. Additionally, artificial intelligence has the potential to put many people out of jobs. In many ways AI can make humans inadequate because artificial intelligence is superior in many ways. According to a prediction made by McKinsey & Company in 2017, AI and automation are predicted to destroy between 400 and 800 million jobs worldwide if implemented at scale. These possible downsides do not even fully convey all the drawbacks AI could carry.

 

AI Destroying Jobs – Photo Credit

 

In truth, nobody is yet equipped to grasp how the implementation of artificial intelligence will affect our society. For that reason, I would propose more research be done to assess how AI will affect society moving forwards. All possible drawbacks should be outlined and weighed versus the more prominent benefits. We cannot fully commit to an AI revolution when we have no idea what it may cause. For all we know, artificial intelligence will create a new world order like nothing we could even comprehend.

Today, college is typically viewed as an integral part of obtaining a quality career and achieving long-term economic success. Thanks to this outlook, a great weight is put on getting into the best post-secondary educational institutions. While there are many issues with colleges and the current perception of them, this blog and post will focus on the public-school system and its impact on college placement, respectively. While performance within the public schools plays a major role, the quality of the schools has a large effect on college placement in a variety of manners.

 

In an earlier post, Niche was brought up. One of the many statistics it ranked schools by was college preparation. This statistic is calculated based on a variety of other factors, ranging from SAT scores to basic proficiencies in certain areas. Ultimately, it is trying to assess how ready a certain school prepares its students for college. One factor is past college placement. It accounts for what universities past students attended to determine the level of higher education the school’s students were prepared for in the past. Basically, it is attempting to paint a picture of where students might go afterwards, depending on how well their high school has prepared them.

 

Admission Factor Weights – Photo Credit

 

As mentioned earlier, there are many aspects of a high school education that affect college preparation. Of these, the quality of the school’s academics is one of the most impactful. Just browsing Niche, it quickly becomes evident that the schools with better academics are the institutions with better college preparation. This quality of education is measured by SAT scores and reading and math proficiencies. Essentially, the three things go hand in hand. They all rise and decline together as they are components or measures of one another. It would make sense that the test scores of a school that has a good education would rise and that same school would better prepare its students for college. The students coming from schools with greater college preparation typically get into better colleges thanks to their better preparation for what comes next.

 

GPA and ACT/SAT Acceptance Rates – Photo Credit

 

So, what is it that these better high schools offer to have better college preparation? One major offering of these better schools is AP classes, or Advanced Placement classes. These advanced classes are usually taken in high school and culminate in a standardized test that is administered by College Board. If a student does well enough on the assessment, they can then get college credit. The college would have to be willing to accept this credit and most do. These classes are an excellent way for students to prepare for college. They allow students to get a taste of the rigor that college will bring. Additionally, these difficult classes are something that college admissions staff look for in that it shows that the student is ready for college. While AP classes are a great resource for students, not all public schools are able to offer them to their students, making it difficult for their students to compete with their counterparts at better schools.

 

This may appear obvious, but SAT scores play a major role in college placement. They carry a significant weight in that the standardized test is meant to assess college readiness. A high score on the SAT will improve any students’ chances at getting into their dream school. Consequently, a low score could inhibit a student from getting into college altogether. Seeing as this test can have a drastic influence on college acceptance, SAT preparation is an excellent way for students to ready themselves for the exam. College Board (image too) itself has acknowledged that preparation can raise scores significantly. Just taking the PSAT, practice SAT, can raise scores by 60 points. Sadly, like AP classes, SAT prep and the PSAT is only offered at certain high schools. These are then the schools that receive better education and college prep scores.

 

SAT Improvement from PSAT – Photo Credit

 

When looking at students, college admissions look at many aspects. They will always try to look at the student as a whole, but their transcript and SAT score will play a major part in this. At just about any college, the acceptance rate rises as the SAT score and GPA go up. In trying to look at the students as a whole, the difficulty of the courses taken by the student also plays a role in acceptance. Despite trying to account for the difficulties of students coming from bad school districts, the students coming from school districts with better college preparation usually fair better when it comes to college placement. Moving forward, the best manner to level the playing field would be to offer the necessary college preparation resources at all schools, but it is unlikely that this level of fairness would ever be achieved.

Whether you like it or not, standardized testing is everywhere. Most colleges require either SAT or ACT scores when determining acceptance. Additionally, many public schools have their students take standardized tests to assess proficiency in certain areas. The aim of these test is to measure student achievement on a large scale. While the tests often fail to meet this requirement, the goal is to make the tests reliable and objective assessments of student ability. While this model may work in a perfect world, our world is far from perfect.

 

Students Talking a Standardized Test – Photo Credit

 

Firstly, let’s address the implications of the tests. Public schools throughout the United States receive funding from the federal, state, and local government. As you can imagine, this system can be quite complicated. For the purposes of this specific post the only necessary information is that many sources of funding take the requirements of grants or come with certain requirements. In most cases Public Schools need to take standardized testing to receive any funding at all. Furthermore, public schools need to meet certain benchmarks or show a certain level of improvement to receive funding from these sources. Yes, a sizable portion of funding boils down to the test scores of students. This idea can be painful when the teachers are limited in what they can do to make their pupils grasp the importance of the exam and succeed.

 

As usual, this aspect of the educational system can be viewed as broken in several ways. Aside from the fact that tests are used to decide funding, a prominent issue is the manner in which the schools with the higher scores receive more funding. This may seem fair in that the best schools should be awarded the most money. However, this logic breaks down when you view the schools in terms of need, meaning the schools that are testing poorly need more money due to their academic short-comings. They need more money in order to better their educational institution and teach more effectively. Of course there are failures in this logic too, but cutting the funding of schools that are failing doesn’t appear to be an effective solution either.

 

Parent Perceptions of Standardized Testing – Photo Credit

 

Again, the SAT and ACT are two of the most obvious examples of standardized test and for good reason. Just about every student applying to a post-secondary school will take one of the two at some point. Whether you like it or not, these tests play a major role in the application process. With the millions of students applying to colleges each year there needs to be some way to standardize application. A test is an excellent method for this and it is a good idea at hear. Yet, a single test score can never properly represent who a student or their potential. This leads many students to resent the practice, finding the implications of just one test to be too great.

 

SAT Test – Photo Credit

 

Building on this foundation are the many problems with the test. The exam is meant to predict first-year success of students in college, but many studies have found the tests to be inaccurate in some manner or another. Herman Aguinis, a lead researcher, has found that the SAT score both over and under predict the performance of students. This was not just a couple of cases, it was inaccurate nearly one fifth of the time.

 

Still, the more important issue is the test’s several biases . A New York Times article expressed that, “On average historically, whites and Asians do better than blacks and Hispanics on the SAT; wealthier children do better than poorer ones; and boys do better than girls — slightly better in verbal skills and considerably better in math.” Efforts have been made to reduce these biases in recent years, but they have persisted. Unfair questions were the root of the problem in the past, which primarily entailed topics that were more familiar to some students. The more recent efforts have lessened the gap, but it still exists. The testing companies claim that the root of the problem is not the test, but stereotypes and greater societal problems. Assuming this is the case, hopefully a true resolution can be found.

 

SAT Racial Bias – Photo Credit

 

It is more than likely that standardized tests are not going anywhere anytime soon. They will continue to a source of conclusions for the foreseeable future. For that reason, we must attempt to draw meaningful insights from them. We must avoid placing too much weight on them and assessing them in terms of our current social system.

 

 

From the intercity of Detroit to the rural farmland of Missouri, children all over the United States share one common requirement. They must attend school. Most students groan at the idea of having to go to school every day, failing to see the importance of an education. However, upon reflection most people will be able to appreciate the impact it had on them. Similar to the cluelessness of its importance, many students are completely unaware of the disparity within the overall education system. They have no idea that the education they are receiving is completely different from their counterparts in another town, county, or state.

 

Students Walking to Class – Photo Credit

 

This begs the question; how different can they really be? There are several websites such as Niche, where the sole purpose is to compare school districts and document the differences. After just a brief look, it becomes evident how different these schools can be. The top-rated traditional public school in America is Stuyvesant High School, located in New York City. It graduates 99% of its students, boasts an average SAT score of 1470, and has a 99% proficiency in both reading and math. Meanwhile, one of the many public high schools on the bottom of the list was Butler High School, from Augusta, Georgia. Here, only 67% of the students graduate, the average SAT is 930, and the school is 8% proficient at reading and 5% proficient at math. The difference is as apparent as it is astounding. When looking at the two side by side, it is hard to believe the two public high schools can be that different.

 

The Highest Rated Public High School in the Nation – Photo Credit

 

Of course, these results are multi-factorial. There are many elements that go into the education of a student. “The Factors Effecting Student Achievement,” by Engin Karadag, outlines some of the many factors that can impact student achievement. As you probably guessed, the quality of the school and teacher qualifications play a significant role in student education. A study completed by Berkley students, entitled “The contributions of school quality and teacher qualifications to student performance: Evidence from a natural experiment in Beijing middle schools,“ found that increasing the quality of the teacher pool resulted in an average increase in student scores. This report, in addition to the many similar studies that reinforced it, stress the theme that the school and teacher quality effect education. Still, even these reports acknowledge that there are many other factors.

 

Of the many factors that exist, socio-economic status is one of the most prominent. This is because it is an underlying factor that affects many other issues which are on the surface. For example, one widely accepted fact is that schools in low-income areas are frequently worse. This is because less money is generated by the area for the education system. This lack of funding is then translated into schools that lack updated materials and facilities. These educational institutions are often unable to bring in quality teachers because they are drawn in by the schools with better funding, seeing as they can offer higher salaries and better working conditions.

 

An Illinois School in an Impoverished Area – Photo Credit

 

Moreover, there are many psychological factors that can impact students. Overtime, the low-quality education institutions have failed many students reinforcing a positive feedback loop in which the students are not expected to succeed. Knowing these expectations, the students frequently give in to the downward trend of the schools, resulting in both their own failure as well as that of the schools. Often, these trends occur in low-income areas where the schools are not getting enough funding to start with.

 

While a failing education system should be important in and of itself, the issue reaches beyond just education. Many studies have displayed that there is a positive correlation between financial success and level of education. Meaning that the children who are unable to get an excellent education will most likely fail to find fiscal success. This can have a cyclical effect in low-income areas which are unable to support their education systems properly. While this may not have been how the issue started, it has not and will not be helpful in its resolution moving forward.

 

Education, Employment, and Earnings – Photo Credit

 

Overall, the purpose of this blog is to explore our current education system. This includes searching for the root of the problem, researching the impacts, and investigating possible solutions. While this blog may not have a direct impact on anything, education is the first step.